<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>At least we have each other by brilliantcastiel</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741612">At least we have each other</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantcastiel/pseuds/brilliantcastiel'>brilliantcastiel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Martian (2015), Women's Soccer RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ali as Beth, Anja as Vogel, Ash as Beck, Becky as Commander Lewis, F/F, Pinoe is Rick, Press is Olivia, Rewrite of my Martian fic of the same title but WOSO, The Martian but make it WOSO, Tobin is Mark, the martian - Freeform, woso - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:40:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantcastiel/pseuds/brilliantcastiel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As the seventh and final member of the Ares III mission, Christen Press never thought she would get left on Mars, especially not with Tobin Heath.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger, Tobin Heath/Christen Press</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>SOL 18; ARES III HAB OUTSIDE</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The view out here was amazing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no way that she could ever get sick of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearing her throat, the woman went back to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today was going to be an amazing day. She was so sure of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, she was wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh so very wrong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could hear Pinoe and Tobin chatting over the communication system, which meant that she left her channel open. Again. They really needed to stop doing that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They always did that. Most of the time she loved hearing their banter, but she knew that it pissed the Commander off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heath, you keep leaving your channel open.” She heard Commander Sauerbrunn’s voice through her com. Stifling her own laughs, Christen just went back to gathering her samples. A couple seconds later, she could hear the signal being cut, and she shook her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How she put up with them, she had no idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear the Commander apologizing to Mittag, and she shook her head again. Placing the cap on the last of the samples she grabbed, she pushed herself up from the ground. Blowing out a breath, she was headed back over to where Mittag and Commander Sauerbrunn were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Christen could hear Ali talking about an update from Mission Control, something about a dust storm. They had been briefed about it that morning, but it didn’t raise any concerns then. Which obviously meant something had most likely changed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She heard the command for everyone to head inside the HAB. As Press moved closer to the HAB, she let her eyes drift up to the sky. Sure enough, there was a dark dust wall headed their way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well fuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And fuck indeed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The storm was projected to be worse. So much worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tension in the air was tense, and Chris knew something was going to happen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Based on current escalation, estimate a force of, eighty-six hundred Newtons.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the abort force?” She could hear herself, and Tobin asked at the same time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“7,500” Ashlyn spoke from her spot from the counter. Christen leaned against it, and griminced.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not good.” She muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear Pinoe mentioning something about how much the MAV could take. Would they really abort the mission? They were only 18 sols in. Surely they could wait it out?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we’re done? We’re scrubbed?” Pess asked, her tone sharper than what she wanted it to be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a chance that it won’t be as bad.” She heard Pinoe say over the Com, continuing her check of the MAV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could just wait it out.” She heard Mittag say from beside her, and Tobin quickly agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a couple more seconds of silent, they got their answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Begin preparing for emergency departure.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damn it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a race to pack everything up, which made Christen glad that she left everything in her room up in the Hermes that she didn’t need. Pulling her EVA suit on again, she adjusted it and took one last look around the Hab. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was disappointed and sad to be leaving so soon, but it was for the best. If they waited it out, the MAV could tip, and then they all would be stranded there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” She could hear Ali call to her, and Liv nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all got into the airlock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Visibility is almost zero. If you get lost, home in on my suit’s telemetry. The wind’s gonna be rougher away from the Hab, be ready.” She could hear Commander’s voice through the com. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Let’s do this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as the airlock was opened, the force of the wind was immense. Chris staggered and struggled to keep herself upright. Fuck was it difficult. The trek out was worse, and she felt Tobin grab her hand, and she shot her a grateful smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, while they were getting ready, she had thought of a way to keep the MAV from tipping, involving the cables from the Com dish. But now that she was out in the storm, she knew that there was no way for her to get there and to the MAV before it tipped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys. I think I know a way to keep the MAV from tipping.” She could hear Tobin call over the Com. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How?” Came Commander Sauerbrunns’s response, and Chris faltered but caught herself from falling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could use cables from the solar farm as guy lines.The rovers could be anchors. The trick  would be getting around the--” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s when disaster struck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quickly, almost like a blur she felt something slam into Tobin sending her flying, ripping her hand from hers. She could hear the crew calling for her, and was about to call out herself, when she saw the other part of the communication dish coming straight for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well fuck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then it all went dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple minutes later, the MAV lifts off, painting the area in light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unknown to the crew, two astronauts were alive. Unconscious, but alive. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>When I was a kid, all I dreamed about was seeing what was beyond Earth. I wanted nothing more than to travel the stars and see what all the Universe had to offer. I wanted to be the one to discover something big. Perhaps I would discover something new on Mars, or discover something on the Moon. It was always my dream to become an Astronaut. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I was born in 2005, graduated high school at age 16 in 2021. I already had enough college credits to skip the first two years of University. I graduated from Arizona State University with a Masters degree in Geology, and a minor in Chemistry in 2023. I joined the NASA training program that same year, completing the training needed by 2026. I was in the graduating group number twenty-five.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I found my love for all things space when I was three. My father worked at NASA as well as with Space X and sometimes would take me with her to work when I was a kid. I had my dream set in stone by the age of fourteen, and knew that I just had to make it my career. Luckily the high school i went to had a chance for you to start taking college credit classes starting in the tenth grade. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then I got selected for the Ares III mission. I was overjoyed, and my parents were so proud of me. Said I would go on to do amazing things on the mission. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I never expected to die on it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I never really imagined how my life would end. I always thought I would have more time. But, what I did know, is that if I wanted to go out, I would go out doing what I loved best. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, I never expected to survive on a deserted planet where nothing can survive. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 19; Near ARES III HAB; MID MORNING.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a groan, the female’s eyes fluttered open. her oxygen alarm was screeching in her ear. Letting a groan slip out, Christen tried to move her body around. It hurt. With the Oxygen alarm screaming, she was most likely almost out of oxygen and needed to get back to the HAB. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was still struggling with the fact that she was still alive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She managed to pull herself into a sitting position, groggy and head pounding painfully. Blinking her eyes, she let herself take in the sights around her. She could still see the HAB, thankfully. It only seemed to be a fourth a mile away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cringing, the brunette got herself up onto her feet, her body wildly unsteady. her side was on fire. She mostly bruised it from where she got hit with the Com dish. On shaky feet, Christen started to stumble her way back to the HAB.  It was then that she realized the severity of the problem. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The MAV was gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Which meant that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>crew</span>
  </em>
  <span> was gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blowing out a breath, she </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well her day just got a whole lot better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Deep breath Chris, Deep Breaths, You’re okay. You can figure this out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With her breath coming out in pants, she managed to get the airlock open and waited for it to pressurize before heading to the main part of the HAB. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Never in a million years did she expect to see Tobin Heath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sort of stared at each other for a second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck are you doing here?” She asked her, as she started to peel off her EVA suit, wincing as she eased the fabric from her side and hip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could ask you the same thing! I thought you left with the Crew!” she spoke, patching up what looked like a wound in her side. Moving quickly, she grabbed what she would need to patch herself up and set herself on a seat, now letting her eyes drift to her side. Surprisingly enough, there was only a little wound, and after applying some cream to it, finally saw how bad the bruise was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was hit with the smaller communications disk. Sent me flying a quarter of a mile away and knocked me out.” She winced as she jammed a syringe of pain meds into her side. The bruise was huge, covering her whole hip, from just below her ribs to her upper thigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would hurt for a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, this situation got a bit better. At least she wouldn’t die alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So tell me,” She started as she moved to where she kept her clothes, grabbing a shirt and sweatpants. “How fucked are we?”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly? We’re going to somehow make something happen so that we survive til Ares Four gets here in about four years. I’m sure we can think of something.” She spoke, throwing the trash away and pulling on a clean shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, we’re bound to find something. Can’t be that hard. I like to think we’re smart enough.” Christen laughed. Shaking her head, Tobin just smiled at her. Pulling a blanket around herself, she watched as she started recording a log. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is Tobin Heath. Astronaut. I’m entering this log for the record, in case I don’t make it. It’s oh-six-fifty-three on Sol 19. And I’m still alive.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously.” Chris cut in, as she swung her legs. She just shook her head at her as she continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’m guessing this is going to be a surprise to our crewmates. And NASA. And... the world. So... surprise.I- along with Christen Press- didn’t die on Sol 18. Best I can tell,”  Tobin held up the jagged piece of antenna. “this length of our primary communications antenna tore through my bio-monitor. And ripped a hole in me as well. It was horrible, thank you for asking.” Chris let out a laugh  “But the antenna and the blood managed to seal the breach in my suit. Which kept me alive. Even though the team must have thought I was dead.  Commander Sauerbrunn, If you ever hear this, Listen. It wasn’t your fault. Just bad luck. You did what you had to do, and if I had been in your position I would have done the same. I’m glad you guys made it. We both are.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chris got up from her spot and grabbed the other chair and pulled it over to Tobin, sitting next to her. Leaning in close, she took over for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “And that’s where we’re at. Tobin Heath and Christen Press, currently stranded on Mars. We have no way to contact NASA because our communications antenna broke and stuck into Tobin’s stomach. Which we’ve covered. I got hit with the smaller dish.” She lifted up her shirt to show the beginning of the bruise.  “And even if we could, it would take about four years before the next manned mission gets here. And we’re currently in a Hab designed to last thirty-one days. If the oxygenator breaks, we’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks, we'll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, we'll just sort of... implode. And if, by some miracle, none of that happens... eventually we’re going to run out of food. So... yeah. “ She paused and cleared her throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clicking the end button, she leaned back in her seat. Letting out a sigh, she let her head rest on her crewmates shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be okay? Right?” She asked, her voice coming out in a whisper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure we’ll be okay.” Tobin promised, letting her head rest against hers. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter three</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 21- ARES III HAB; LATE MORNING</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blearily walking into the kitchen, Chris blindly reached into the container that held the coffee packets. Making it, she took a drink as she grabbed a ration pack of sausage. After preparing it according to the instructions on the package, she placed it onto a plate, moving back to the rations. Selecting something that would resemble eggs for Heath, she prepared it and placed it on a plate along with another cup of a coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rise and Shine starshine!” She sang out as she peeled the covers off of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go away.” Was the response she received. Shaking her head, she pushed her softly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I made coffee!” Chris Spoke as she moved to go back to the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A couple minutes later, Heath joined her, a slight smile on his face. She was up to something. They talked quietly over breakfast, and decided what they would do that day. Chris would count the rations they had and Tobin would check over all the systems to check on them. After throwing out the empty ration packs, Chris  grabbed the other containers of rations, along with her notebook and pen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Setting her music to play over the speaker, she got to work. Grabbing a stack of the different types, she’d count how many there were before jotting down the number and the name of the pack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Thirty-Six of the general tso’s chicken.” She hummed as she wrote it down, and let herself lean back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get everything counted?” She heard Heath ask from over by the computers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything is counted for!” She grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the containers, now neatly organized and placed them back into the cabinets, passing the box of potatoes that NASA sent for thanksgiving.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hmm…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could hear her speaking quietly to the small camera they had in their bunks to do logs. It was early in the morning, around one-thirty. The blonde had spent the last hour tossing and turning, unable to turn the howling winds that were pounding against the canvas of the Hab out. With nothing else to do, she turned on her side to better listen to Tobin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s do the math... Our surface mission here was supposed to take thirty-one days. For redundancy, they sent enough food to last for seventy-five days. For seven people. So for just me and Christen, it’ll last three-hundred ish days. And I figure we can stretch that to four hundred if we ration. So,I’ve still gotta figure out how to grow three years worth of food. here. On a planet where nothing grows. Luckily, I’m the botanist. Mars will come to fear my botany powers! Oh, and Christen’s geology!” Chris couldn’t help but softly laugh at that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was sure, out of the both of them that it would be her to think of something to save them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least somehow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 22-HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know a way to save us.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>SOL 22-HAB KITCHEN [Continued] </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do? Does it involve what I heard you logging about earlier this morning?” Chris questioned, sipping her coffee, still slowly waking up. Sleep had been hard to come by, she didn’t pass out until about four-thirty in the morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed it does young one,” she grinned at her as she ripped open a ration pack, not taking the time to look at what kind it was.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just say that it isn't going to be easy. But, it’s manageable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After clearing the kitchen, moving everything around and taping up the circle that was the kitchen, they donned their EVA kits and set off for the Martian surface. Tobin set off to the waste bin, set on gathering all of what was in it while Christen started digging and filling empty large containers and pulling them back into the HAB. She could only bring a couple containers in at a time, and set them off to the empty space they made for them until they were needed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched from afar as Tobin ripped into the silver packages, dumping the waste into a bucket of water that had been filled from the water reclaimer. She was glad that she wasn’t in that room, she thought as she watched her start to gag. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember, this is your idea.” She called to her from outside over her Com. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All she got was a rude finger gesture in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 24; HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spreading dirt around a marked out area was harder than it sounded. Well, at least for Christen. All she had to do was pour out the containers and carefully spread all the area. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 25; HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More dirt and more pouring. Safe to say, Chris was sick of it already. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 28; HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all of the soil had been placed in the area and carefully made even. Who knew that botany was so much goddamn work? Now came the gross part. Luckily Tobin had the mind to warn her, so she grabbed her EVA helmet and shoved it over her head as he opened the lid to the container.  And even with her helmet, she still could smell some of it, and dear jesus did it smell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus fuck,” She spoked out. “Please tell me it’s going to go away?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sheepish grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 29; HAB BEDROOM </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another dust storm. Granted this one was a small one, but it didn’t stop Chris from getting lost in the flashback of SOL 18. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 31; HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today was planting day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chriswatched from her place outside the kitchen, as Heath moved with precision and ease. He obviously knew what he was doing. She hummed softly as she moved back to her spot at one of the still empty lab tables, grabbing her laptop and pulling it closer to her. She had gone through the boxes of the Crew’s personal items and grabbed the data sticks that they had brought with them. Becky had a bunch of 70’s shows and music and many many books. Anja’s stuff was mostly in German. Ash just had a bunch of medical things. Ali’’s held shows from the early to late 2000s, which Chris would watch first.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her own stick held music and her favorite show, Doctor Who. All 18 current seasons. She also brought a couple books with her. She left most of them on the Hermes, only bringing her favorites with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least we’ll be set for a while!” Christen yelled over to her crewmate, waving the data sticks in her hand.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 36; HAB BEDROOM.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The issue is water.” Chrisspoke, as she leaned back into her bunk, notebook in hand. The camera was already going, as she clicked her pen a couple times. “Tobin and I already did all the math,” She started, “we’ve created one-hundred and twenty-six square meters of soil. But each cubic meter needs forty liters of water to be farmable. So, we -more like Tobin- has to figure out how to make a lot of water. Fortunately, I know the recipe. Take hydrogen. Add oxygen. Burn. Unfortunately ya know burn. I have hundreds of liters of unused Hydrazine from the MDV. If I run the Hydrazine over an iridium catalyst, it’ll separate into N2 and H2…” She trailed off, jotting down on her notebook.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched as Tobin started to set up everything in the HAB kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Science time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobin duct taped torn trash-bags to create a tent, which she used to cover her work table. She tore an air hose from one of the space suits, taped it to the tent, and hung it from the roof. She does something to vent pure oxygen from a tank, lights it with a spark from battery wires. Whoosh. Points the flame at the wood shavings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So far everything was going good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobin holds the torch, starts the Hydrazine flow. The Hydrazine sizzles on the iridium and evaporates away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> It’s working. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobin checks his instruments. She and Chris watch the temperature,with Chris focusing on the instruments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 36; HAB BEDROOM [EARLIER] </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chris grinned as she pointed the camera to get both her and Heath into frame.” Believe it or not, the challenge has been finding something that will hold a flame. NASA hates fire. Because of the whole “fire makes everyone die in space” thing. So everything we brought with us is flame retardant. With the notable exception of... Pinoe’s’ personal items. “ Heath held up what looked like a cross as he picked up where Chris left off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Pinoe. If you didn’t want me to go through your stuff, you shouldn’t have left us for dead on a desolate planet. “ She bumped into his shoulder, a grin on her face. She finished off the rest of the math as he started to shave down the cross into shards. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A thought popped into her head as she finished the equations. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ We should probably take into account the excess oxygen you’ll be expelling as you do this.”  She nodded, and his eyes lit up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think of that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 36; HAB KITCHEN [PRESENT TIME]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so their plan worked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure the HAB heated up to a somewhat decent thirty four to thirty six degrees celsius. It honestly could have been worse, Chris noted as she grabbed her part of the ration pack. She wasn’t one to complain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 40; OUTSIDE OF HAB</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Christen’s turn to clean off the solar panels for that week. She worked quickly as she could, using the machine to blow off the dust that had built up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 50; HAB BEDROOM</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another day, another science experiment. This time was focused on the rocks that she had collected that morning. She had cracked them open, and placed them on a slide, and carefully lowered it so that she could expect it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 54; HAB KITCHEN </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sprout. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally some proof that something was growing!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The female had excitedly woken up Tobin, with an exclaimed “Come quick!” and practically dragged her to the small windows that they cut out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s something growing!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>[EARTH; SOL 54; ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY] </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Our nation was blessed to have Tobin Heath and Christen Press serving in our space program. Both of their  losses will be deeply felt, but the men and women of NASA will soldier forth, onward and upward, unbroken in the mission of their agency. In doing so, they honor the legacy Tobin, and Christen leave behind, and they ensure their sacrifice will not be in vain.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 67; ARES III HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want to start tonight? We have Doctor Who and something that involves vampires?” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>SOL 68; HAB KITCHEN</p><p> </p><p>“It’s time to start thinking long term,” Christen spoke as she got the camera rolling, Tobin in the back working on the potato farm. Since that first sprout, the farm had just burst to life. SHe traced the map of Mars, letting her finger go from where they were to where Ares 4 would be. A sigh escaped her lips. </p><p> </p><p>“The next NASA mission is Ares 4. It’s supposed to land at the Schiaparelli Crater, 3,200 km away. Tobin and I somehow have to figure out how to get there within the next four years.”  She raised the pen to her temple, a headache already starting to form.  “We have two rovers, both will go a max distance of 35 kilometers before they need to be recharged at the Hab. That’s problem A. Problem B is it’ll take us about fifty days to make the journey. So we have to be able to live for fifty days. Inside a rover with marginal life support the size of a small van. And yeah, problem C is if I don’t figure out how to make contact with NASA in the first place, none of this matters anyway. “ She finished as she let her head flop back against the back of the chair. </p><p> </p><p>“So, yes, in the face of overwhelming odds, I am left with only one option: I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this.” Tobin took over, a grin on her face. “We, have to science the absolute fuck out of this.” With a laugh, she ended the video feed. Sighing out, Chris reached for the bottle of painkillers, taking two of them dry.  </p><p> </p><p>“I have a probably stupid idea, but an idea.” She spoke out as she tapped her fingers against the side of the bunk, pulling the map of the area closer to her. </p><p> </p><p>“Shoot.” </p><p> </p><p>“Pathfinder, but hear me out first. It stopped working back in ‘97 most likely because the battery stopped working. I say, one of us goes and gets it, we plug it into the power of the HAB and see if anything happens. It’s our best shot of getting communication between us and NASA.” </p><p> </p><p>“No, No. I see your point. Here, hand me the map, we can figure out the distance.”</p><p> </p><p>Tobin grabbed the ruler out of Chris’ hand, plotting the two points and connected them. </p><p> </p><p>“Should be about 2373 kilometers from here. If either one of us can figure out how to get the battery out of Rover 2 into rover one, it should only take us about forty days to get there and back.” She spoke, with Chris quickly writing everything down. </p><p> </p><p>“What if we attach the battery from rover 2 with the extra pieces of the HAB? Like, make a harness of some sorts and attach it there.” The female questioned as she started to write down on a new page. </p><p> </p><p>“You know, that might actually work.” </p><p>SOL 71; HAB Airlock</p><p> </p><p>“You have everything?” Heath’s voice came over her com. Checking the things in her arm, she made sure to count them. </p><p> </p><p>“Everything is here. I should only be an hour.” She responded, as she depressurized the airlock and stepped out onto the Martian surface. She hummed softly as she made her way over to the two rovers, setting her things down beside rover one. Taking out the battery from rover two took a bit to do, and even in 0.4 g, it was difficult. Even in the Mars gravity, it was still probably around 300 pounds. She tugged it across to the other Rover, and grabbed the extra canvas. Carefully weaving the pieces of canvas together, the female was able to get it into something that resembled a harness and secured it with resin. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as it was set, she slowly raised it up to the underside of the other Rover, and secured the battery into place. It held well, but the true test would be a quick drive around. Unplugging the original battery, and plugged in battery two. After getting into the Rover, she held her breath as it started up, power holding strong. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I got everything done, it seems to be holding strong. I’m going to take it on a test run, I should be back by mid-day or sometime this evening.” She spoke over her com, letting herself sit back into the seat. </p><p> </p><p>“Sounds good! Might use your flash drive and watch something you have on it. Be safe Press.”   </p><p> </p><p>“Copy that Tobin.” </p><p> </p><p>Time for a drive, with some of the best views in the whole solar system. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p>Two hours in, she was absolutely freezing. </p><p> </p><p>“Damn it, I didn’t think it would get this cold.” Press spoke, teeth chattering. She had made the decision to not turn the heaters on to save more battery, but now that just seemed to be the wrong decision.  “The only upside to this, is that I get more out of the battery.” She shivered again, breath coming out in little clouds. “Okay, fuck, I’m calling it.” she quickly pressed the button that turned the heater on. </p><p> </p><p>Turning the rover back around, she started back for the HAB, the interior of the rover slowly starting to warm up. At least the harness was holding. She was excited to let Tobin know that everything was going as planned, and that they could hopefully start the journey to Pathfinder by the end of that week. </p><p> </p><p>But first, they had to find a solution to the heating problem. </p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>“Okay! So that wasn’t that terrible. But, it would have been better if I wasn’t freezing my goddamn ass off.” Chris spoke, as she started to take her suit off as soon as she was back in the HAB. </p><p> </p><p>“You have a solution don’t you?” The botanist could see the knowing glint in Press’ eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, when don’t I have one?” She grinned as she placed her suit back up, grabbing a long sleeve shirt and tugging it on. </p><p> </p><p>“How’s the bruise?” Was asked as she grabbed a dinner packet and ripped it open. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s almost completely gone, no pain whatsoever. How's your side?” She asked back, as she started into her food. </p><p> </p><p>“Almost done healing, I’m going to have one hell of a scar when we’re done with this.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, my plan about the heating,” She pointed a finger at her. “How do you feel about digging up the RTG?” </p><p> </p><p>“You mean the thing that is never supposed to be dug up, and the one we took all those training hours on?” His eyebrow arched. Was she really going to suggest something so stupid. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I mean it sounded like a good idea in my head.” She spoke, digging her teeth into her bottom lip.  “We wouldn’t be cold during the long drives that I’m sure are ahead.” She shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that it doesn’t sound like a good idea, it does. It’s just the fact that it seems dangerous, but we might be able to make something that keeps the radiation inside of it from getting to us. I can go and get it at some point tomorrow.” Tobin said, a grin building on her face. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll try to fashion something together while you do that.” </p><p> </p><p>That night, she layed in her bunk, a thin blanket over her. The heat was manageable in the day, but at night she had to take to using a thin blanket to cover her. Letting out a sigh, she made the move to get up, knowing that she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep for a while. </p><p> </p><p>Grabbing her laptop, she headed to the lab desk by the kitchen, set to do some more math and planning the trip to Pathfinder. </p><p> </p><p>She hoped everything would go well, as this was most likely their only chance to talk to Earth and NASA. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>SOL 72; HAB BEDROOM</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could hear the airlock opening. Tobin seemed to be back from getting the RGT. She had left that morning, at around noon and it was only just turning two in the afternoon. As soon as she could see her, she gave her two thumbs up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Success. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She watched from her spot on her bunk as she took his EVA suit off, and placed it back on the hook. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I take it everything went well?” She couldn’t help but question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Went as good as it could. Made a couple logs that you can watch when you get the chance. How’s the shield coming along for it?” She asked as she grabbed a water bottle, emptying almost the entire thing in one drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's going.” She shrugged. “Should have it done tonight and we can get it fitted onto the RTG some point tomorrow morning or afternoon. That is, if I don’t get it done any sooner.” Chris smiled, pulling her laptop closer to her, a yawn escaping her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t sleep well, did you?” She asked as he took the spot next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A nod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried falling asleep around midnight but I just couldn’t sleep. Tossed and turned for a couple hours before getting up and starting a bit more of the math to help us get to Pathfinder. “ She reached for her notebook and pulled it over to her. “So if we can get around seventy kilometers a day with both batteries. We can charge them with the extra solar panels. So with going seventy kilometers a day, and Pathfinder being around 2373 kilometers, it should take us about three weeks to get there, and three weeks to get back. One of us will have to stay here with the farm to make sure everything goes okay.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So one of us will be gone for about forty two days. That’s not terrible, could be worse.” She grinned, tapping his fingers onto the bench. “Which one of us do you think should go?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking of you, since if something goes wrong with the rover, you would be able to fix it. And I can start on the experiments that were supposed to be done.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a plan. We should be able to start reping and re-sow the potato plants before I head out!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 79; HAB KITCHEN </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling up another plant, she placed it into the container before moving onto the next one. She could see Tobin going through another box, separating the potatoes. The bigger ones would be their food source, the smaller ones would be replanted. Finishing up that row, she carried the box over to where the other ones were, a smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s it going so far?” She asked as she grabbed the water from the table, taking a few sips from it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So far so good. Should be able to replant these by tonight!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And with the radiation shield, you should be able to head to Pathfinder in the next couple days.” She laughed out, “And I promise I won’t kill the potatoes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holding you to that Press.” She shook his finger, teasingly at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No promises.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 82; HAB BEDROOM</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobin had left a couple days ago on Sol 80, and she had just left the area of where they could still communicate. At least they could text chat, which was nice. After finishing up the experiments that her Commander was supposed to do, she set about placing everything back to where it was supposed to go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How was she going to last six weeks with only herself to keep her company. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Christen was just thankful that she had Tobin with her on Mars. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She would have never lasted on her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 90; HAB KITCHEN</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More potato watching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More experiments. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had finished Ash’s readings and whatever was included in what she was going to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ali didn’t have much, so she was able to finish it within a day or so. Anja’s chemistry shit would have to wait for Tobin to get back. That left only her own work to do. Observing the various rocks and dirt samples she had taken from different spots on the surface. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 100; HAB AIRLOCK</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another EVA to clean the surface panels. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More geology work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another check in with Tobin. Who had told her she was already halfway back with Pathfinder. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>SOL 102</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The airlocked hissed open. Christen looked up from her spot on her bunk, and watched as Tobin walked in. In her arms was a smaller rover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We got it.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>potential contact with NASA? + Background</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>SOL 102- continued</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that small one must be Sojourner.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was kind of cute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little tiny rover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She cleared off the table and helped Tobin set it up, a smile on her face. She quickly pulled her into a hug. It was nice to have her back, she spent most nights too anxious to sleep. Most nights she was getting around two or three hours of sleep, on a good night. Some nights she was up all night, surviving on caffeine pills and coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She relaxed into the hug, a sigh leaving her mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How much are we going to have to do to get Pathfinder working again?” She asked against her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t be too much, you feel up for it?” Tobin asked her softly, her hand on the back of her head, holding her closer to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Christen always did have a love for electronics and for the Lander, so that would be perfect for her. It would, or at least should be easy. All she had to do was take out the old battery, place in the environmental heater and plug in a power source from the HAB. Then, hopefully they would regain contact with NASA and Earth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donning her EVA suit, Press grabbed what she would need, carefully placed them in her arms and headed out of the airlock. It took around twenty minutes to pry open the compartment that she needed opened. And another ten minutes to place the heater in and to plug in the power plug from the HAB. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The true moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would be around thirty minutes or so for the message to come in, so while she waited, she started to gather samples that she needed for her next experiment. She was hoping to look for more traces of water in the soil as well as in the rocks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A mere thirty or so minutes later, she heard that amazing noise. Pathfinder starting up, and the antenna starting to look for contact. She let out a scream of joy, pumping her first in the air. Taking a deep breath, she called to Tobin. “It worked! We need to get something out here to see if they’re receiving us.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Heading back into the HAB, she could hear her rushing around, grabbing the small dry erase boards they brought with them and frantically writing on three of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Are you receiving us?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Yes’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘No’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grabbing some stakes, she attached the boards that were passed to her before heading out again. After making sure they were in the ground enough, she waited again.  Samples had already been collected, so all she was left with was her thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What would happen if they couldn’t regain contact? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long would they last?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would they really have to wait the four years for the next mission? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blowing out a breath, she dragged her fingers through the dirt, still unable to believe that she was indeed on Mars. When she was selected for the team, she knew that the next few years were going to be rough, and was determined to make a good impression on her new crewmates. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And good impression she made. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pinoe was the first one that showed up on the night they decided to go out, instantly drawing Olivia into a large hug. She joked with her as the others arrived, and instantly made her nerves vanish. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next person to show up was Tobin, a wide grin on her face, hands in her pockets. She and Pinoe instantly hit it off, trying to one up each other in puns, and all Christen could do was shake her head softly and laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ash and Ali showed up next, weaving their way through the tables, and Olivia greeted them with a smile and a hug. Her and Ali instantly clicked, bonding over the fact that they were the two youngest and the shortest members of the crew. Her and Ashlyn bonded over their love for medical things, Christen having taken multiple medical classes during college. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anja was next, instantly making an impact in the group. It allowed for Press to slip into her native language, something she had been practicing since she was a kid. The smile that appeared on her face when she heard her in her tongue, made her grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Commander Sauerbrunn was the last to arrive, and the group all stood up together. The brunette was pulled into a tight hug from the start. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The group fell into a comfortable conversation, talking about their hobbies, education, and just anything that came to mind. Chris just knew that they would be alright. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the years of training started, the relationships with the crew started to make itself known. Becky became the mother figure that Press needed -her own mother passed away a couple months after her college graduation.- Ali became like the sister she always wanted. Ashlyn,Megan and Anja became her best friends, someone she could confined in or talk to when it was one of those days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tobin was different to say the least. Their bond was different from all the other crew. They bonded on a different level, almost a flirtatious level. Of course, Press tried to not fall for the female , but she could admit that she was extremely good looking. Something just told her that something, that their experience on Mars would affect that, but alas, she could not tell in what way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of something moving caught her eye, and she snapped her head up to see Pathfinder moving it’s camera. Making her way over as quick as she could, she finally saw where it landed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Yes’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tobes, they’re receiving us. Oh my fucking god.” She couldn’t help but almost cry out, tears welling up in her eyes. This was something huge, and a smile made its way to her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit! Okay, this is good! We’re getting somewhere!” she called back, and the brunette made her way back into the airlock, a smile on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>